Adrien Leroy eBook

“Thank you, my lord,” he said. “Your
confidence is not misplaced; indeed, it is not my
fault that you have not been placed in possession
of the real facts of the case before this. I certainly
think it would be best for me to retain them for the
present. I would suggest now that we arrange
a plan by which Jasper Vermont shall expose his villainy
in the actual presence of your son; otherwise, we
shall have difficulty, perhaps, to convince him on
my bare word.”

“That’s true enough,” put in Mortimer
Shelton. “Adrien is so set on the man,
that even with these proofs we shall hardly convince
him of his treachery other than from Vermont’s
own mouth.”

“Yes,” said Lord Barminster with a sigh.
“I think you are right. But how is this
to be managed?”

“I have brought with me the girl, Jessica, to
whom I referred just now, and her aunt, Miss Ada Lester,”
said Mr. Harker. “Both of them will be
able to assist us, and I would suggest to your lordship
that they be sent for, and brought into the Castle
quietly. We should then be able to confront Vermont.”

“Certainly,” agreed Lord Barminster; and,
crossing the room, he rang for his own confidential
man.

“Simpson,” he said, when the servant appeared,
“I want you to drive down, yourself, to the
station.”

“The Windleham Hotel, your lordship,”
interrupted Mr. Harker respectfully. “I
think, too, if your lordship would have no objection,
a short note from me would be advisable.”

“Certainly,” agreed Lord Barminster.
He directed Harker to a small desk, then turned once
more to the waiting servant. “Bring the
ladies back with you. Take them into the Octagon
Room, and ask them to wait there.” Then,
as Mr. Harker came forward with the note, he added,
“Give this to a Miss Lester.”

“Yes, my lord,” said Simpson, and taking
the letter with a deep bow, he departed on his mission.

CHAPTER XXV

Lord Barminster conducted Mr. Harker to the Octagon
Room, so named from its peculiar shape.

“If you will wait here,” he said courteously,
“I will have some refreshment sent up to you
and the ladies, when they arrive.”

“Thank you, my lord,” returned Mr. Harker
gratefully.

Seating himself, he waited patiently for the arrival
of Miss Lester and Jessica, secretly congratulating
himself on the success of his interview. The
time passed quickly; and, while waiting, Lord Barminster
and Mortimer Shelton held a hurried consultation with
him as to the best method of exposing Vermont.
Long before they had finished, Miss Lester and her
niece had arrived, the former flushed with excitement
and triumph at the prospect of at last, as she expressed
it, “getting her own back” with Jasper.

Lord Barminster and Shelton descended to the terrace,
where they found Lady Constance; and almost immediately
after came Adrien, with his inevitable companion,
Jasper Vermont.